There are many different methods and apparatus employed to manufacture parabolic solar collector surfaces. Invariably these methods are complex and costly and constitute a major portion of the overall cost of a solar collector system.
In an effort to reduce the cost of the shaped collector surface, many attempts have been made to utilize a segmented, as opposed to a one piece curved mirror surface, as can be seen by reference to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,115,177, 4,084,581, 4,038,971 and 3,841,738.
These prior art methods and apparatus are deficient, in that the end product is usually; difficult to assemble, expensive to manufacture, easily damaged by chipping, expansion, contraction, deterioration of the mirror surface, water seepage between the segment and substrate, with subsequent ice formation which results in the cracking of the segments, impact by hailstones, rocks etc. and various and sundry other problems.
To date there has not been a method and apparatus devised which provides a solution to the inherent shortcomings found in the prior art.